"The Overturning of an Arbitrary Government": Pigott's Radical Challenge to Standard Lexicography

A radical pamphleteer in the early years of the 1790s, Charles Pigott today is best remembered for his posthumous A Political Dictionary Explaining the True Meaning of Words (1795). This pamphlet was published by Daniel Isaac Eaton, the authorized publisher of Thomas Paine's works. Although Pigott did not live to see his pamphlet in print, it proved an instant publishing success. The third edition was quickly released in 1796, and extracts from the book appeared in print, too. However, the book's popularity did not last long, and it has never been deemed worthy of serious attention in criticism on the radical literature of the 1790s. But there is no mention of the Political Dictionary in her book. Given the fact that Goodrich examines the political debate on the role of the aristocracy that erupted between radicals and loyalists in the 1790s, it seems odd that she takes no notice of the Dictionary, which unleashes a vitriolic attack on the aristocracy.